A technique related to an automotive cowl louver support structure is described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 7-10037.
In the cowl louver support structure described in Patent Document 1, a cowl louver is attached to a cowl panel of a body by a plurality of clips.
However, as shown in, for example, FIG. 1, in an automobile provided with rain gutters 102 that allow rainwater on a windshield G to flow down along front pillars 101, it is common practice that vehicle-widthwise both ends of a cowl louver 104 are supported by lower portions of the right and left rain gutters 102.
That is, as shown in FIG. 6(A), the lower portions of the rain gutters 102 capable of supporting the cowl louver 104 are provided with support plates 103 that project inwardly in a vehicle-widthwise direction. The support plates 103 have substantially V-shaped notches 103c that are formed in front end edges thereof.
Further, as shown in FIG. 6(B), hook portions 106 are formed in the vehicle-widthwise both ends of the cowl louver 104. The hook portions 106 project downwardly from back side of the cowl louver 104 and are bent backwardly so as to have a substantially J-shape in side view. Further, when a back end edge upper portion 104f of the cowl louver 104 is disposed on a lower end periphery of the windshield G, the hook portions 106 of the cowl louver 104 are hooked on the notches 103c of the support plates 103 from before and below, so that vehicle-widthwise both sides of the cowl louver 104 can be connected to the lower portions of the right and left rain gutters 102. Further, in this condition, ornamental surfaces 102e of the rain gutters 102 and a ornamental surface 104e of the cowl louver 104 can be continuous with each other.